Thames Water has gone out to tender with an AMP7 contract for geotechnical engineering advisory and consultancy services worth an estimated £750,000.

The water company requires highly specialised technical support in the Geotechnical Engineering discipline concerning impacts to its critical trunk sewers, water transfer tunnels and strategic water mains from the impact of third-party construction activities.

Thames is also seeking expert geotechnical advice and support regarding the analyses of ground movements caused by third-party subsurface construction activity, review of third-party tunnel analyses and design and effect of construction work on structural integrity of all existing Thames Water tunnels.

Technical support required under the contract will also include statutory inspection of reservoirs and tunnels and expert advice on any proposed geotechnical/structural safety issues that need to be addressed.

In some instances , there may need to be expert witness services provided if any detriment caused to existing sub surface assets is deemed to have been caused by a third-party activity.

Overall, the service will involve providing robust engineering geotechnical assurance to the business in particular in the implementation of Capital Delivery projects , Developer Services projects and Periodic Regulatory Inspections of tunnels and reservoirs.

The scope of services to be provided under the contract include:

• Inspection of Thames Water Critical Assets such as tunnels and reservoirs and recommending urgent remedial action and preparation of the survey guidance procedures currently used across the network.
• Review of complex geotechnical design proposals from developers, national infrastructure and transport authorities on existing Thames Water assets.
• Carrying out research and investigation programme to identify the causal mechanisms of potential critical assert such as tunnel failures (predictive failures)
• Providing advice to TWUL Reservoir Safety and Asset Condition Manager after review of developer's proposals for works in the vicinity of tunnels, including risk mitigation measures
• Reviewing and reporting on impacts to strategic sewers particularly those under surcharge risk which is now present in most areas of London (e.g. the recent failure of Low-Level No. 1 at Battersea).
• Assisting Thames Water during negotiations with developers (clients, architects, engineers and contractors) on complex projects and where appropriate advice on essential risk mitigation works.
• Providing dispute avoidance advisory services to avert possible legal challenges by developers and external parties.

Initial contract term is three years with the potential to extend annually up to maximum term of eight years in total.

Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate is 28 October 2021 – click here to access the tender documentation.

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